$273M Mega Millions Winner Has a Stranger to Thank for His Luck

A New Jersey man was distracted by his phone and forgot two Mega Millions tickets at the gas station where he bought them. Luckily for him, a good Samaritan found them and turned the tickets into the cashier, although he or she could have kept them. One of those tickets was, in fact, the $273 Million jackpot-winning ticket!

Mega Millions Double Success Story

Mike Weirsky is the lottery player who initially lost his tickets, only to eventually retrieve them thanks to a kind stranger. He bought his tickets at a Quick Chek store in Phillipsburg, New Jersey and then left them on the counter as he was paying attention to his phone. The unemployed 54-year-old held a press conference and said that he plans to find the guy who handed in the tickets and repay him for his kind gesture.

“I’m looking for the guy that handed them in, I want to thank him. I’m going to give him something, but I’m going to keep that private.”

Moreover, a lottery official explained that if that person kept the winning ticket, they could have claimed the prize for themselves. This makes the good, honest deed even more remarkable, and Weirsky was impressed by the kindness of the mysterious stranger.

I was just very thankful that there was an honest person out there, because I figured it was gone.

Winner’s Plans for the Future

Weirsky plans to cash his winnings in a lump sum, amounting to around $162 million. This win will truly change his life around, as he was unemployed for a long time. He was searching for a job for a year, but never even got an interview. He also got divorced back in October, after a 15-year long marriage.

Although this win is not a top 10 record-breaking Mega Millions prize, it still is a remarkable amount that will improve Weirsky’s life! It seems that his luck hit at the right moment, and he plans to enjoy his newly-found fortune without worrying about job-hunting.

I always wanted to know what it would be like to be able to just wake up and be able to go somewhere, buy something. And when I get the money I’m going to do that.

He plans to buy a Ford Raptor pick-up truck for himself, a car for his mother, and also invest in remodeling her home.